


Rangshi Week 2020: A Collection of Shorts

by Swani



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, F/F, Fluff, Just a mixture of stuff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:47:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26533090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swani/pseuds/Swani
Summary: Collection of shorts for Rangshi Week!Day 1: KissesDay 2: Soft/DomesticDay 3: Horse StanceDay 4: Hurt/ComfortDay 5: Kyoshi Warriors/IslandDay 6: FestivalDay 7: Battle Paint
Relationships: Kyoshi/Rangi (Avatar)
Comments: 41
Kudos: 192





	1. Kisses

Rangi sat against the wall with her knees pulled to her chest. People rushed in and out of the room frantically. Kyoshi groaned in pain and sobbed, at one point she even called for her mother. She initially refused the medicine but relented when the pain became too great. The cries turned into fitful murmuring as the medicine took effect. Her brow unfurrowed and her shoulders relaxed. 

A small mercy. 

But, still, Rangi sat and watched. 

“She’s sleeping,” Kirima said to the firebender. “Why don’t you come downstairs and get something to eat?”

Rangi shook her head, never taking her eyes off of Kyoshi’s unconscious form. 

Kirima sighed softly and turned to leave. “She’ll make it through this. She’s strong.”

The waterbender left the room and closed the door behind her. Rangi wasn't sure how long she'd been watching. The light in the room faded as the sun dipped further over the horizon. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. This was her fault. She had let this happen. Rangi could have made her objections to Kyoshi's cooperation with _daofei_ more forcefully. She could have written to her mother to come and collect them. 

She could have hunted Jianzhu and killed him with her bare hands.

Any of these actions could have spared Kyoshi this agony.

She hadn't even considered how this could dishonor her. For once, she didn’t care one damn bit about her honor. She didn’t care about being the Avatar’s bodyguard. She cared that she might have to face the rest of her days without Kyoshi at her side. 

This wasn’t fair. She had just gotten to call Kyoshi hers. She couldn’t lose her now.  
  


Kyoshi began to stir. She turned her head to the side and her eyes opened just a bit.

“Ra-Rangi?”

In seconds, Rangi was on her feet and at Kyoshi’s side. 

“Shhh, you need rest,” Rangi whispered as she brushed the sweat-soaked hair from Kyoshi’s forehead. “Just sleep.”

“Hurts…”

“I know it does,” Rangi whispered, stroking Kyoshi’s cheek. Her bronze eyes glistened from unshed tears.

Kyoshi’s eyes slid shut again, and she was out again. 

Rangi’s chest heaved, and she let out a quiet sob. She could no longer hold it at bay. She bent over and gently kissed Kyoshi's forehead then buried her face in Kyoshi's shoulder, sobbing. The door opened slowly. Rangi lifted her head but didn’t turn to look. 

“Come and eat,” Wong said softly. “You know it’s what she would want.”

Rangi almost whirled around and shouted at him. How dare he speak for her, but a glance at the Avatar prevented them from doing so.

Wong was right, and she knew it.

“I’ll be down in a minute,” she said, her voice hoarse.

She heard the door shut.

Rangi took Kyoshi’s face in her hands and pressed another kiss to her forehead. She paused for a moment before giving her a feather-light kiss on her lips as the tears streamed down her face. And then another. She pulled back just enough to look at her. She ran her thumb over the cheeks of the girl that meant the world to her. 

“I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Day 4 is Hurt/Comfort buuuut I could resist doing a "missing scene" fic. 
> 
> Guess Day 4 will have to be even sadder.


	2. Soft/Domestic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of soft and some domestic.

Rangi leaned against the doorframe as she watched Kyoshi. The Avatar, who hadn’t noticed the firebender off to the side, was reading and sorting piles of requests and letters. 

Kyoshi was hunched over the desk and kept pausing to push errant strands of hair out of her face. A slow smile made its way to Rangi’s lips as she watched her wife. Even stressed and overwhelmed, Kyoshi was still the most beautiful thing Rangi had ever seen. 

Over the past five years, they have become accustomed to a routine, even to spending days, if not weeks, apart. Neither of them enjoyed it, but they got used to it. 

Rangi had been away in the Fire Nation for the last two months and Kyoshi had traveled with the Flying Opera Company intermittently at that time. Handling request after request. Kyoshi had been entirely on her own in terms of organization as Jinpa had business at the Southern Air Temple. 

When they got married - a complex political move by Hei-Ran - Rangi gave Kyoshi a small golden seal. It was the stylized whetstone of clan Sei’naka. A sign to remind Kyoshi that she had a home and family and that she and Rangi would never really be apart. Kyoshi picked it up from the desk and ran her fingers across it. 

"I wish you were here," she whispered so softly that Rangi barely heard her. “You always know what to do. What I should do.”

The Avatar’s stomach growled loudly and Kyoshi sighed heavily. The firebender smiled smoothly as she moved towards Kyoshi, moving quietly as to not alert her love to her presence. She set the circular box and a pair of chopsticks down on the desk.

“The first thing you should do is eat something,” she said. “I don’t even want to know the last time you ate.”

Kyoshi, startled, whirled in her seat and locked eyes with the amused firebender. 

“Rangi!”

Before Rangi could speak, Kyoshi stood and had picked Rangi up, wrapping her in a tight embrace. 

“Put me down, you oaf,” Rangi scolded, her voice full of mirth. 

The Avatar did as she was told, but as soon as Rangi’s feet touched the floor she captured Rangi’s lips in a crushing kiss. The firebender smiled into the kiss as she wrapped her arms around Kyoshi’s shoulders. 

They pulled apart and beamed at each other. 

“I missed you,” Kyoshi said as she pressed her forehead to her wife’s. “Spirits, I missed you.”

“And I missed you,” Rangi replied pecking the tip of Kyoshi’s nose before she pulled away. “But I’m serious. You need to eat.”

She pushed Kyoshi back into her chair and took the lid off of the box to reveal the dumplings she had gotten from Auntie Mui upon her return. She grabbed the chopsticks and picked up a smaller dumpling. She held it in front of Kyoshi’s mouth.

“Open.”

“I’m not a child, Rangi.”

“I said open.”

Kyoshi rolled her eyes but opened her mouth, leaned forward, and took the dumpling offered. It had been almost a full day since she had last eaten. She chewed and swallowed. Rangi handed her the chopsticks and dutifully ate the meal in front of her. 

“See? Isn’t that better?” Rangi asked, a teasing tone in her voice. She glanced at the disorganized piles of letters and scrolls on the desk. “What’s been going on?”

“The usual,” Kyoshi said between bites. “Everything ranging from ‘ _ Help us, Avatar! A spirit has taken over our farmland’  _ to ‘ _ Oh, Avatar Kyoshi, our daughter's pet koala sheep wandered off, and we need your help to find it!’ _ ” 

Rangi shook her head. She knew Kyoshi would respond to every request at some point. She had too big of a heart not to. 

“In the morning I can help you prioritize, and we can set off when you’re ready,” she said. “But tonight I’d prefer to have you to myself. I missed you, love.” 

Kyoshi smiled sheepishly. “I may have sent Wong and Kirima to handle some of these issues on my behalf. They were getting restless, just sitting around anyway.”

Rangi hooked a finger under Kyoshi’s chin and tilted her head up. “Even more time to have you to myself.”

She bent down and kissed the Avatar sweetly. 

“Finish your food,” she said. “I’m in desperate need of a warm bath. When I get back you had better have eaten every last dumpling.” 

She turned around and started to leave the room, but Kyoshi called her. 

“Wait!” She quickly ate a few more dumplings. “I’ll come with you. I could use a relaxing soak myself.”

Rangi hummed to herself, and she regarded her wife, maybe the rest of the dumplings could wait. 

“Alright,” she said and reached for her lover’s hand. “I do like it when we take lazy baths.” 

Kyoshi practically giggled as her wife led her from the room towards the bath. 

* * *

Rangi moaned as she slipped into the bath. The warm water was a blessing for her stiff and aching muscles. Kyoshi’s chuckled heartily as Rangi leaned back into Kyoshi. The Avatar slipped her arms around her glowing girl and pulled her closer, Rangi’s back pressing deliciously into Kyoshi’s front. 

“Bath, then sleep, then breakfast, before a day of organizing?” Kyoshi asked as she Rangi reached for her favorite floral soap. 

“How about a bath, sleep, breakfast in bed, and then we just stay there all day tomorrow. I’m tired tonight, but we still need to make up for  _ ‘lost time.’ _ ”

“Sounds perfect.’

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couldn't resist the cuteness. 
> 
> Definitely in line with my Rangshi/Korrasami fic The Legends and The Myths. (You should totally read that.)


	3. Horse Stance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Kyoshi gets uncharacteristically bold...)

“Maintain.”

Kyoshi groaned as she felt her thighs burned. Horse stance. Again. 

Rangi excelled at many things, but torture and punishment were disciplines she had mastered, which she had often directed at Kyoshi. 

The Avatar had gotten knocked off of her feet in a hand-to-hand sparring match with the firebender, which Rangi had deemed unsatisfactory.

“You have six minutes left,” Rangi said as she circled Kyoshi. 

She put her hands on Kyoshi’s shoulders and pushed her lower into the stance. Kyoshi let out a growl and grit her teeth. Her nails cut into her palm as Rangi continued to force her further down. 

“I’m sorry, okay!” Kyoshi snapped. “I hesitated with a strike and you knocked me off of my feet. I understand what I did wrong!”

Rangi removed her hands and moved to face Kyoshi. She nodded sharply and crossed her arms. 

“Good, I’m glad you can recognize what you did wrong,” she said. “Any hesitation can mean the end. You will probably find yourself in situations where you may not use your bending and I will not allow you to go into that fight unable to defend yourself.”

“We were just sparring!”

“Exactly!” Rangi snapped. If you can get knocked off your feet that easily in a sparring match what will you do when confronted with an actual opponent?” 

“Rangi!”

The firebender gestured to the training yard. “Getting knocked off your feet here is punishable by ten minutes of Horse stance. You will be able to defend yourself without your bending.”

Kyoshi inhaled sharply and tried to ignore the pain shooting through her body. “Isn’t that the whole reason you’re here?” She asked angrily. “You’re my bodyguard, this is your territory.”

An amused expression washed over the firebender’s face. “That’s not the whole reason I’m here,” Rangi whispered, as she leaned towards Kyoshi. “I’m also here to warm your bed.”

A blush crept across Kyoshi’s face, but Rangi’s knowing smirk shook the wanton thoughts from her mind. Rangi was toying with her, vague promises of a passionate night to silence her. Rangi cupped Kyoshi’s face in her hands and stroked her cheeks with her thumbs. 

However, it was then Kyoshi realized that all of Rangi’s training had paid off: Rangi left herself open. Her guard was completely down and Kyoshi was ready for revenge. 

Moving with the type of speed that only comes from merciless training, her hands wrapped tightly around Rangi’s wrists. The firebender gasped in surprise and Kyoshi took those few seconds to bring her feet together and stand straight up. 

Kyoshi used her full height, which disrupted Rangi’s balance. Before she could recover, Kyoshi hooked her heel behind Rangi’s and pulled her foot forward. Kyoshi leaned forward with her full body weight and brought them down.

Rangi’s back hit hard on the ground and her wrists were pinned above her head. Kyoshi knelt over her like a predator, eyes dark and teeth bared. 

“You left yourself open,” Kyoshi whispered dangerously. “I analyzed my opponent and took her down.”

“I...uh….very good.” Rangi mumbled as a blush spread across her cheeks and ears. Rangi liked watching Kyoshi best an opponent, but this...this unusual display of power made Rangi want. 

As if she could hear her thoughts, Kyoshi dropped her head down, her lips bypassed Rangi and moved to her ear.

“Horse stance. Now,” she whispered.

Rangi’s eyes widened. “ _What?_ ”

The Avatar released Rangi’s wrists and pushed herself to her feet. Rangi propped herself up on her elbows and gazed up at Kyoshi was confusion.

Kyoshi gave her a lopsided grin and gestured to the training yard. “Getting knocked off your feet here is punishable by ten minutes of Horse stance,” she repeated Rangi’s words. “You got knocked off your feet. Horse stance. Now.”

Rangi scrambled to her feet and gave Kyoshi a frustrated look. “I-”

“Set a good example for your student, _sifu,_ ” Kyoshi said with a grin. “It’s the honorable thing to do.”

The firebender furrowed her brow and blew steam out of her nose as she shuffled her feet out and dropped into the stance. Kyoshi knew she was going to pay for this later. In _many_ ways. But, for now? She’d savor this. 

Kyoshi circled Rangi and examined her stance. She could feel the anger radiating off of her lover. The Avatar stopped behind her and trailed her fingers down Rangi’s arm. The firebender shuddered under her touch. She bent down and pressed a wet, hot, kiss to Rangi’s neck. The firebender gasped and Kyoshi chuckled.

“Maintain.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, we all know Kyoshi is going to pay for this later. 
> 
> Couldn't resist some spicy stuff.


	4. Hurt/Comfort

“You’re exactly as formidable as you were before.”

Hei-Ran glanced up and saw Kyoshi leaning against the doorframe. The headmistress dropped her firebending stance and chuckled.

“Kyoshi, dear, I’m an old woman now. I’m nowhere near the firebender I used to be,” she said as she stretched her arms.

Hei-Ran’s voice had a slight gravely inflection, a side effect of Yun’s failed attempt on her life. That and a thin scar on her throat were the only remnants of the attack.

Kyoshi was convinced Hei-Ran had simply been too stubborn to succumb to such an attack. A woman as honorable and proud as Hei-Ran would not die in such an undignified manner. 

“You’re not an ‘old woman,’” Kyoshi said with a skeptical expression. Hei-Ran was in her early fifties and, regardless of her many injuries from the past seven years, was still an unshakable fighter. Nothing was slowing Hei-Ran down.

The headmistress shook her head. “And flattery is not your strong suit. What is it that you need?”

Kyoshi pushed off of the doorframe and moved closer to Hei-Ran. She shrugged. “I’m taking a break. I was drowning in a pile of letters and needed to look away or I would have gone blind.”

“You sound like Kuruk.”

The Avatar scowled at Hei-Ran’s statement, but if Hei-Ran noticed she hadn’t said anything. 

“However,” Hei-Ran continued. “I feel like there was a different reason you’re here. You came to the training yard for a reason.”

Kyoshi sighed. Of course, Hei-Ran would see right through her. 

“I did.”

“You knew I was here.”

“I did.”

“Then why, Kyoshi? There is clearly something on your mind.”

The Avatar fidgeted her hands. She suddenly felt like a small child again. She averted her gaze away from the hardened teacher. 

“I took a break earlier to commune with Yangchen,” Kyoshi explained softly. “I got a letter from a girl who heard about Rangi and me. She, uh, wrote to me wanting to know how to explain her feelings to her mother. The letter...had an effect on me.”

“It made you think of your mother?”

“More like the lack thereof,” Kyoshi said dryly. “I don’t even know what Jesa would even say if she knew I had married a woman and a Fire National at that.

“Hm,” Hei-Ran said thoughtfully. “And why did you need Yangchen?”

“My mother was an Air Nomad. I wanted to know if she...if...if my mother would have still cared for me, if she knew,” Kyoshi shook her head. “I have some memories of my mother. Most of them are good, believe it or not. She’d sit me in her lap, and she’d point up to the stars, and we’d make up names for them. She was warm and I always felt safe with her. But then she left me...left me like I was nothing.”

Hei-Ran stood still and listened to Kyoshi, but her heart was breaking for her. Hei-Ran wanted to believe there was a greater reason for Kyoshi’s abandonment, and it wasn’t simply criminals abandoning an unwanted child, but it filled Hei-Ran with too much anger to contemplate on it. She couldn’t comprehend a mother abandoning her child. She would sooner burn the world to ash than part with her daughter. Even now.

Kyoshi looked down and took a shaky breath to collect her thoughts. It was then that Hei-Ran noticed Rangi standing in the doorway that Kyoshi had previously occupied. Her face was twisted in heartache and anger.

She had obviously heard every word. 

“So, I went to Yangchen,” Kyoshi continued, unbeknownst of Rangi’s presence. “I don’t like admitting it, but she looks like my mother. So, so, much like her. I guess part of me wanted to look at Yangchen and pretend my mother was saying warm and loving things to me. I don’t know what I did to deserve my parents abandoning me.”

“You didn’t do anything,” Hei-Ran said sternly. 'You were a child and you didn't deserve to be left on the street. 

Kyoshi smiled sadly. “That’s sweet of you to say, but-”

Hei-Ran held up her hand to stop Kyoshi. “You did nothing to deserve that.” She said sharply. It was the same tone she used to shut Rangi down.

The Avatar crossed her arms and shrank in on herself. “Yangchen told me to try and meditate. To reach into my memories and conjure the memories of my mother’s warmth and love, and there I find my answer.”

“I assume this is what you did.”

“I tried,” Kyoshi’s shoulders slumped. She began to wonder whether she should keep these events to herself. “I tried to bring up every memory of my mother that I have, but no matter how hard I tried, I never saw her. So, I tried so hard to focus on times I felt any motherly warmth and I…”

“What is it?”

“The only thing I saw was you,” Kyoshi admitted softly, her voice full of shame. 

“Me?” Hei-Ran gaped at her. Her eyes flicked over to Rangi, and she was surprised to see the loving smile on her daughter’s face. 

Kyoshi sighed. “Do you remember our conversation after Yun tried to kill you. Rangi had just shoved a bowl of noodles in my hand and you could only communicate through chalk?”

Hei-Ran traced her fingers along the scar that Yun had left her with. She nodded silently. 

“You said that because Rangi loved me then that made me your daughter too,” Kyoshi said quietly. She gnawed on her lip like a child caught doing something wrong. “For the last several years I’ve hung onto that. Then you arranged for Rangi and me to be married and you’ve watched out for me. I just wanted you to know it means a lot to me.”

Hei-Ran stepped forward and laid her hands on Kyoshi's shoulders. Bronze eyes locked with jade ones. Hei-Ran slowly, and lovingly, pushed some errant hair out of the Avatar’s face.

“Kyoshi, you are my daughter,” She said with a warmth that Kyoshi had only ever seen reserved for Rangi. “You’re deserving of all the love and protection a mother can give. Do you think I would have arranged for you to marry Rangi and give you a place in my family if I didn’t love you?”

With that, Kyoshi's resolve broke, and she sank to her knees as her tears fell. 

Rangi was at her side in an instant. She pulled the Avatar into her arms and hugged her tightly. Kyoshi clung to her and sobbed harder. 

“Rangi, I-” Kyoshi looked up at her wife. Rangi’s heart seized at the look of pure anguish on her face. “They just left me. They didn’t want me.”

“We do,” Rangi whispered as she pressed a kiss to Kyoshi’s head. “You have us. We’re your family.”

Hei-Ran knelt in front of them and wrapped her arms around both women. Kyoshi balled her hand in Hei-Ran’s training shirt and buried her face into her shoulder. 

“I don’t know why your parents did what they did, Kyoshi,” Hei-Ran whispered to her. “But I can only promise you that you’ll never be alone again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too much hurt because I believe the books did an excellent job of establishing Kyoshi's baggage with her mother, but a lot of comfort. 
> 
> In terms of Kyoshi and Rangi's relationship, I think Hei-Ran is a factor that gets left out a lot. It's evident in SOK just how much she cares about Kyoshi and I can only imagine that affection growing as time goes on and Kyoshi and Rangi get more and more serious. So, for Rangshi Week, I wanted to include a whole family vibe. I hope this makes sense. 
> 
> The whole marriage thing is another reference to my other fic. It's my fic, I'll reference it all I want. lol


	5. Rise of the Warriors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry. This is terrible.

“I reckon this is it.”

Kyoshi inhaled the salty sea air. She listened to the bustle of the fishmongers, sailors, peasants going about their day. They were still unaware of her presence. There was something almost serene about the mundane scene before her. Kyoshi liked to take a moment and observe the natural order before her presence upset that gentle balance. 

She almost missed the simplicity of being a commoner.

Rangi, however, was highborn and well aware of her station. She had no time for mundane machinations of village life. Every moment of her time was sacred and to waste that time was dangerous. 

“Kyoshi?” The firebender asked pointedly. “Are you still there?” She waved her hand in front of Kyoshi’s face.

“Hmm? Oh, yes! Sorry,” Kyoshi sputtered as she snapped back to reality. “I just like to take in the scenery a bit.”

Rangi arched a perfectly manicured brow. 

“Why?” She sniffed the air and made a face. “It smells like rotting, seaweed, blood, innards, and old fish. And it certainly doesn’t look any better than it smells.” 

Kyoshi shook her head with a slight smile. “We’re just here to get on extra supplies, not buying property.”

“And the people are-”

“Honest and hardworking.”

“And not worth our time,” Rangi chided. “We need to be back to the mansion soon because you’re receiving dignitaries. We’re getting the supplies and leaving. No exceptions.”

The two made their way to the fish market and a hush fell over the villagers as they stared at Kyoshi in shock. Their stunned expressions were met with Rangi’s scorching gaze. Each slowly returned to their duties a little more frightened than before.

They stopped at a stall near the edge of the water and the woman gave a terrified squeak when they approached her. 

“Aaa-Avatar Kyoshi, my lady,” she bowed deeply while trembling. “You honor me with your presence.”

Kyoshi smiled politely and bowed her head. “Thank you, Madam. I-”

Rangi stepped closer to the stall and pulled her shoulders back. 

“The Avatar wishes to purchase a few pounds of the dried fish you have on display.” She said harshly and crisply. Like she was giving an order to a recruit. 

“Oh! Of-ff course,” the woman sputtered out. She shrank in on herself under Rangi’s scrutinizing gaze. Her hands moved as quickly as they could to wrap up a few pounds of her dried fish.

Rowdy yelling and laughter caught their attention. The turned to see three men harassing the women they passed on the street. Slapping their behinds, obscene or suggestive remarks, and taking things. 

“Oh no,” the woman behind the stall muttered. “I had hoped they wouldn’t be back.”

“Who are they?” Rangi asked never taking her eyes off of them. 

“Sailors or pirates or what have you,” the woman answered. “They dock here and do as they please. To whoever strikes their fancy.”

“Excuse me,” Kyosh said as she strode towards a man who had just slapped a basket of fish from a young woman’s hands.

The man chuckled and took a step closer to the young woman, but before he could do little else, Kyoshi grabbed him by his lapels and flipped him. He landed painfully on the stone road and his arm was clearly dislocated. Rangi raised an eyebrow at Kyoshi's use of hand-to-hand tactics. 

The men with him stood in shock for a moment but made weary steps towards Kyoshi, still weighing whether or to engage with her. It mattered little. Rangi was behind them in an instant. She kicked the back one’s knee and then the other, when they both lost balance, Rangi slammed their heads together, and they crumpled to the street. 

The young woman, her basket and fish forgotten, stared up at Kyoshi. The Avatar smiled graciously and bowed deeply. 

“I would be honored to teach you how to defend yourself,” She said with welcoming eyes. 

The young woman covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh, I couldn’t do that. I’m not-”

“It’s a style developed to knock a larger opponent off balance,” Kyoshi explained. 

The young woman looked Kyoshi up and down. “You have larger opponents?”

“Well, no,” Kyoshi said quickly. “Not usually but it could happen.”

Kyoshi and the young woman turned when they heard an exasperated sigh. Rangi stepped over the men, who clutched their heads in pain and made her way over. 

“The style originated at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, specifically the Officer’s School,” Rangi explained with all the power and grace of a captain in the Fire Army. “I taught the style to Avatar Kyoshi, and _we_ will now teach it to you. Your name. Now.”

“My name?” The young woman asked with wide eyes. “It’s Lian.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Lian,” Kyoshi said. “You know who I am, but this is Captain Rangi of Clan Sei’naka.”

“My ladies, I’m not worthy to learn from you,” Lian said meekly.

Rangi clipped her heels and cleared her throat. She stepped closer to Lian and stared down at her. “If you were unworthy then I would not have informed you.”

“Informed?”

“Yes, informed,” Rangi said. “I only allow those who are worthy to occupy the Avatar’s time.”

Kyoshi put a hand on Rangi’s shoulder. “You’re scaring her, Rangi.”

“If she can stare me down, then she’ll have no problems with these idiots,” Rangi said before kicking the man Kyoshi had flipped. “The Avatar and I are staying in the village for a few days. Gather any women in the village that wish to learn from the Avatar and me. Our campsite is just outside of the village. Meet us there at dawn. Instruction begins then.”

Lian glanced between Kyoshi and Rangi, a smile broke out on the young woman’s face. “I’ll talk to all the women in town and bring the ones who want to learn in the morning!”

Kyoshi bowed to her. “I look forward to the morning.”

Lian grabbed her basket and ran down the street, excitedly calling out to the women in the village. 

Kyoshi leaned towards Rangi. “What happened to ‘ _We’re getting the supplies and leaving. No exceptions._ ’?”

“Shut up, you oaf,” Rangi said. Her expression softened as she watched Lian scurry excitedly from woman to woman. “We’ll teach them. To fight. To survive. To thrive.”

“We?”

“Oh, please, you’re useless without me,” Rangi said with a smirk. “Besides, I’m excited to see how this plays out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This prompt kicked my ass. I could not think of a single avenue I wanted to go down. So, I wrote the foundation of the Kyoshi Warriors using the framework Suki laid out in the one Free Comic Book Day issue I have shoved in a comic box somewhere.
> 
> Oh, and I added Rangi because duh.
> 
> This one is late but it's over. THIS ONE BROKE ME.
> 
> (I want to write about other stuff regarding the Kyoshi Warrioris and Kyoshi Is;and in my other fic, so I wanted to hold onto those ideas.)


	6. Festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Atuat gets drunk and ruins everyone's good time.

Rangi laced her fingers with Kyoshi’s and hugged herself to her arm. Kyoshi chuckled as she squeezed Rangi’s fingers. 

“It’s nice being able to walk around like this more openly,” Kyoshi admitted sheepishly.

“That’s why I like coming here with you,” Rangi said, nuzzling her face in Kyoshi’s arm. “It’s nice to just be...normal for a while.”

The two had recently spent several weeks in Ba Sing Se where their movements were heavily monitored and scrutinized. The Earth Kingdom was well aware of their marriage - an Earth Kingdom delegation had even attended the ceremony - but the Earth Kingdom hierarchy wasn’t reacting well to the news. 

Kyoshi married into a Fire Nation noble family, ingratiated herself in their court, and traveled with her firebender spouse. This compounded with the fact that she  _ married a woman _ didn’t make the Earth Kingdom happy. At all. She disrespected the Earth Kingdom's “traditional values” and “rejected her nation” for the degeneracy of the Fire Nation, as one Earth Kingdom sage so kindly wrote her.

That letter? She let Rangi burn that one. 

Needless to say, she was relieved to, ironically, but tucked away on Rangi’s home island for a local festival. Sei’naka was something of an outlier among the other clans. Their home island was undersized and insufficient territory made it difficult to expand. Some agriculture and mining, but only on scant sections of the island. Not enough to export and nearly everything else was imported. 

But they thrived. Somehow, Sei’naka always thrived. 

The festival was to celebrate some treaty the clan signed centuries ago. Kyoshi wasn’t concerned with the history of it all, she was far more interested in the way that Rangi’s eyes lit up at the fireworks, lanterns, music, and dancing. 

Kyoshi even wore red for the occasion and was rewarded with a passionate kiss. Rangi  _ loved _ Kyoshi in red.

“It must be nice to be home,” Kyoshi said, only half-joking. She consistently felt guilty that Rangi left so much behind for her.

“ _ You’re  _ my home,” Rangi said with a knowing smirk. “But it’s always nice to be here. It’s just a place I  _ know _ we’ll be safe.”

“I pity the soul that seeks to invade or carry out a hit on this island,” Kyoshi bit her lip. She didn’t know how this next part would go over, but she was going to try. “Our family is formidable, but, when we’re all together, it’s nice to see everyone at ease.”

Kyoshi tried to say this as casually as possible and not like she had been practicing variants of those lines for days. She bit the inside of her cheek when she heard Rangi’s breath hitch. The firebender said nothing, but squeezed Kyoshi’s hand tightly and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. 

“THERE YOU GIRLS ARE!” 

They both jumped and whirled to see Atuat shuffling towards them. Other members of the clan stopped mid-sentence to witness the plump Water Tribe woman push her way through the crowd. She had a cup in each hand and thrust them at Kyoshi and Rangi.

“You got to try this wine!” Atuat roared excitedly. “It has such a kick!”

Kyoshi cocked her head at the strange speech and looked closer at the healer in front of her.

“Atuat, are you drunk?” She asked pointedly.

“Yes,” Hei-Ran said, having finally caught up to Atuat. “She took off looking for you both before I got back.”

“KYOSHI,” Atuat called out, slapping Kyoshi’s arm. “You’re a big girl! I bet you can put a lot away.”

Hei-Ran rolled her eyes. “Watch her, I’m going to find Jinpa. I need help to wrangle her.”

Rangi and Kyoshi guided Atuat to a secluded stone bench away from the main festivities.

“Kyoshi! Rangi! Try the wine! Loosen up!”

The firebender crossed her arms. “ _ Sifu _ , we’re plenty loose.” She scowled at the healer. 

Atuat couldn’t keep the laughter to herself. “HA! You look exactly like your mother when you scowl like that.” she leaned forward and pinched Rangi’s cheek. The firebender swatted her hand away. The healer snorted and chortled before continuing. “And I certainly heard you two ‘ _ loosening up _ ’ earlier. I never took Kyoshi for a screamer.” 

Kyoshi’s jaw dropped in shock and Rangi covered her mouth in surprise. They glanced at each other and flushed deeply. The had, indeed, spent most of their afternoon ‘ _ loosening up,’ _ but had hoped their secluded bedchamber helped cover that up. 

Rangi downed her wine in two massive gulps. It burned her nose and throat, but if this was going to happen then she needed something to get her through it. 

“Is she always like that or is it something special that you do?” Atuat leaned closer to Rangi and drunkenly mistook her slightly raised voice for whispering. 

Now it was Kyoshi’s turn to down her wine and Rangi desperately tried to hush Atuat.

“Atuat, please, this conversation isn’t one I’d like to have in public,” Rangi said gently. “Or at all.” 

“Bah! You’re just as bad as the other old biddies in the Water Tribes!” Atuat declared. “They don’t care what you do so long as you do it behind closed doors and never talk about it. Ever. Regardless of what it is. That’s no way to live!”

At this point, Kyoshi and Rangi were staring at each other in embarrassment, neither knowing what to do. Atuat chuckled and rocked back and forth. 

“If you two need to slip away I can cover for you,” she slurred. “Kyoshi, I’ll have the musicians play louder. Since that’s what Rangi likes since she kept asking you to-”

“ _ Sifu  _ Atuat!” Jinpa called out as she and Hei-Ran made their way over. “Mistress Hei-Ran said you’re intoxicated, let’s get you to your quarters so you can sleep this off.”

The waterbender swatted his hands away. Jinpa squeaked and slinked away from her. Hei-Ran noticed Kyoshi and Rangi’s flustered expressions. She glanced at Atuat and then back to them.

“What is going on here?”

“NOTHING!” Kyoshi barked. 

“Mother, please,” Rangi said quickly. 

“Kyoshi’s a screamer and Rangi likes it,” Atuat chuckled as she rocked back and forth. 

Hei-Ran nodded slowly, contemplating what next to say. Kyoshi buried her face in her hands, she was beyond mortified. Rangi was looking up to the stars to avoid eye contact with anyone and everything. 

“Sei’naka women like their noisy spouses, don’t they?” Atuat whispered yelled to Hei-Ran. She leaned toward Rangi. “Your father was a loud one too! And your mother loved it! Apparently, he was excellent in bed too!”

“Atuat…” Hei-Ran chided halfheartedly. “I told you that in confidence.”

Rangi looked absolutely scandalized. She had precious few memories of her father and now  _ this  _ had ingrained itself alongside them. 

"Please, I don't need to remember Papa this way," Rangi pleaded, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. "We’re going to go get more wine."

Rangi grabbed Kyoshi’s arm and dragged her away from a roaring Atuat and a chuckling Hei-Ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My wife told me to write this and I don't dare tell her no. lol


	7. Battle Paint

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone is finally ready for her battle paint.

"Chin’s army is advancing down the peninsula, and he has naval transports offloading soldiers along the coast.”

Rangi growled as she stared at the map on the table before her. Kyoshi crossed her arms and pursed her lips. They were in a bad tactical position. They had a land advantage with the terrain along the peninsula, but the coastal regions were hit-and-miss.

It didn’t help that their numbers were minuscule next to Chin’s massive army. Mostly mercenaries and conscripts from conquered regions. 

“Rangi, how are we handling this?” Kyoshi asked tensely. “I know you have a plan.”

“I have multiple for defending against an invasion, but our biggest problem is our numbers,” Rangi said, pulling her shoulders back to straighten herself up. “We’ve spread the Warriors too thin. We have three elite squads, a squad of sappers, a unit of Sei’naka shock troops. Plus, the two of us, Kirima, and Wong,” Rangi explained.

“Three squads? Damn it,” Kyoshi grumbled. 

“I have a plan, but it’s risky,” Rangi said. 

Kyoshi moved to stand next to her wife. She rested her hip on the table. She took a moment to regard the military commander. Rangi was well into her forties but looked about ten years younger. She bore a startling resemblance to how Hei-Ran had looked when Kyoshi first met the older Sei’naka woman.

The Avatar reached out and cupped her wife’s face. Rangi smiled and leaned into her hand. 

“RIsky is what we do best,” Kyoshi said. “What do you have?”

Rangi took Kyoshi’s hand and kissed her palm tenderly. She laced their fingers together.

“We send our ground forces along to the coastline. The sappers can prepare defenses while we’re at low tide. That will slow down troop transports. The shock troops can engage them head-on. Firebenders clear the way for the nonbenders. Our three elite squads of Kyoshi Warriors can rain arrows down on the flanks from the ridges,” Rangi explained. She pulled away and grabbed the map of the vulnerable coastline. “Then the two flanks of Warriors will sweep down into the surf, like a door, and join the shock troops. We’re at low tide so it’ll either be a killing field or the retreat into the ocean. It’s their choice.”

“What about Chin’s fleet?”

“The troop transports are unarmed. Our firebenders will turn them to ash in moments. But Chin has five armored warships. If not taken care of they’ll destroy our ground forces. Kirima, Wong, and I will take them out. If we strike quickly enough we can take them out.”

“Where am I in all this?”

Rangi inhaled deeply to find her center. “You’re engaging the ground forces. Alone.”

“What?”

Rangi pursed her lips. “My scouts tell me Chin is at the head of his army. He means for us to assemble our full force against his.”

“So he can sweep up from the ocean?”

“Yes.” 

“He’s packed the ground forces with conscripts. His hardened soldiers are coming up from the water.”

Kyoshi shook her head. “We would get so caught up in the slaughter on the front that the hardened soldiers rip through and hit us at our back.”

“Yes, the Avatar standing against an entire army alone will be enough to break the spirits of some of these conscripts. They’ll flee. They’re not soldiers, Kyoshi. They don’t deserve to die.”

“The only one I’m interested in killing is Chin,” Kyoshi said. “What about you?”

Rangi shook her head. “I’m not looking to take prisoners. I’ll accept surrender, as always, but we will fight to the death.” 

“Then we know what we need to do,” Kyoshi said. 

She pulled Rangi to her and kissed her passionately. Rangi threw her arms around Kyoshi’s shoulders and returned the kiss with force. They did this before every battle. One kiss to convey everything they wanted to say on what could be the eve of their demise. 

They pulled away and Rangi cupped Kyoshi’s face. 

“I want to take her with me,” Rangi whispered. “She’s ready.”

Kyoshi put her hand over Rangi’s. “I know she is, I’m just scared.”

“I am too, but we have to trust her.”

“Give your orders, I’ll find her. Meet us at the mansion.”

* * *

“Koko.”

The teenager turned to see Kyoshi standing at attention. 

“Mama!” she called out. She went to Kyoshi. “I’ve gotten the elderly and infirm in the mansion. Those we can fight have taken defensive positions.”

“You sound like your mother,” Kyoshi said with pride that was tinged fear. “Come with me.”

“Where’s Mother?”

“I’m here,” Rangi called out as she caught up to them. “Mama and I need to brief you.”

Kyoshi gestured for Koko to follow them inside. Koko fidgeted her hands but wordlessly fell in behind her parents. She followed them to their bedroom and Kyoshi shut the door behind them. 

“What’s going on?” Koko asked. “I’m not hiding in here during this!”

“No, you’re not,” Rangi said sternly. “We’re assembling our forces along the coast and Mama is going to face Chin directly.”

Koko’s eyes widened. “You’re going alone?”

“I am,” Kyoshi said. Koko opened her mouth to protest but the Avatar held up her hand. “The matter is settled.”

Rangi put her hand on Koko’s shoulder to comfort her. “Wong, Kirima, and I are going after the armed ships along the coast,” She tucked errant ink-black hair behind Koko’s ear. “And I want you with me. We can operate in two teams of two.”

“Me?”

“Yes,” Rangi said softly. “You’re ready.”

Koko looked incredulously between her parents. “You won’t even let me join the Kyoshi Warriors!”

“We’ve talked about this, Koko, you’re not old enough. You can join next year,” Kyoshi said with an exasperated sigh. “They’re a regulated military force, but we’re not talking about that.”

Rangi went to the dressing table and took a clay jar. She moved to Koko and gave it to her. 

“We’re talking about this,” Rangi said solemnly. “You’re ready.” 

Koko stared at the jar in her hands, she knew exactly what this was. 

“Your _daofei_ makeup. Your battle paint,” Koko looked up at her parents earnestly. “Your faces.” 

“And now, your face,” Kyoshi said. “I know you have a design in mind.” 

“We don’t have much time,” Rangi said with the crisp tone of a hardened soldier. “We need to take our positions. Kyoshi, do whatever you have to do. I don’t care if you turn this peninsula into a damn island. Chin will not have our home.” 

“We'll stop him,” Koko said, standing to gaze at her parents. “He won’t have our home.”

"Then we better put our face on and take the fight to him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm totally going to use this as the start point for a new fic. 
> 
> Anyway, I know the last few Rangshi Week fics weren't great. It's been a long week but I wanted to get some stuff out. I hope you enjoyed a few of them. 
> 
> I did have fun and I'm glad we all came to celebrate our girls.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Rangshi Week! 
> 
> Been a long time since I contributed to a ship week. I've missed it.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy!


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